Egypt has put twin brothers in charge of its national soccer team with Hossam Hassan taking over as coach and Ibrahim Hassan as team director.
The Egyptian Football Association said Tuesday that Hossam Hassan — the country’s all-time top-scorer with 68 goals — will succeed Portuguese coach Rui Vitória, whom it fired Sunday after the team’s disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt, which has won a record seven Africa Cup titles, failed to win a game in the 34th edition of the tournament and was knocked out by Congo in a dramatic penalty shootout in the round of 16.
Hassan won three Nations Cup titles and scored 67 goals in 173 Fifa-recognised games during an international career that spanned 22 years.
His twin brother Ibrahim, who also won more than 100 caps for the country, has been named as national team manager.
Hossam Hassan has managed several Egyptian clubs – including two spells with Cairo giants Zamalek – since beginning his coaching career in 2008.
He had a stint as Jordan boss during qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, which included overseeing their defeat by Uruguay in an intercontinental play-off.
His first competitive matches with Egypt will be 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau in June.
The Pharaohs took maximum points from their first two qualifiers under Vitoria in November.
